our island story

[tilbatilba]

I can't remember where but someone recently mentioned their child loved listening to "Our Island Story" ..... Having never heard of this book I have now found it on Amazon and realise how ignorant I am and just how famous it is!

I think my children will love it but what CD do you recommend? There is a "Best Of" or is it better to get the 3 individual CDs of the book???

Has anyone read the one on Scotland?

My dd's are 7+8 and we will be travelling for 4 months from June so any other recommendations of talking books that I can download onto their ipod would be fantastic.

Tilbax

[katelyle]

If it is the same "Our Island Story" that I loved as a child, I would be a bit loathe to put it on their Ipods - I think it should be listened to everyone so that there can be some family chat about it. It's a wonderful book - a brilliant historical overview full of thrilling stories and generally a good thing. BUT if it hasn't been revised at all, it presents a very Anglocentric and pro Empire view that I wouldn't want my children to absorb without discussion.
[off to Amazon to buy Our Island Story for dcs]

[Blandmum]

I thought this was Xianas thread

[SauerKraut]

We have been reading it to our kids and I think it's worth going through from beginning to end. I definitely agree with the view that it should be discussed. Even during the course of a chapter.

[SauerKraut]

My husband is Northern Irish and I am English with German roots, but brought up in Dublin. You can imagine how different our reactions to certain chapters have been!

[katelyle]

Well, I am half Irish half Sicilian but both my parents were born in Australia. My dp is a Yorkshireman with strong Irish roots, and we are both pretty left leaning politically and I was brought up in a pacifist family. You can imagine the fun we had with OIS!!!!!!

[jennifersofia]

We have enjoyed Dr. Doolittle, Secret Garden (BBC version narrated by Helena Bonham Carter) and Jungle Book.

[maverick]

It's also available online:

Our Island Story

[RustyBear]

I still have the original version upstairs - it's not really as bad as it might be for the time it was written, but I agree it would probably need some discussion. It is a very good 'story' though, and it (along with Jean Plaidy!)inspired my interest in History, and led to me taking a degree.

[clutteredup]

We had 'Our Empire Story' as well, my granny HE'd my dad when they lived in India in the 40's ( the bit which is now Pakistan) I feel that this is never likely to be re-published. i agree it needs to be discussed but it's a great book.

[RustyBear]

It has been republished, clutteredup - I was looking at it in a bookshop a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't have time to do more than skim the modern introduction - as far as I remember it said it hadn't been revised all that much.

[alibubbles]

Last year The Daily Telegraph got readers to sponsor it being reprinted and it is to be distributed to all schools free of charge.
A bit of nostalgia for a lot of readers as well.